Occidentali's Karma
Francesco Gabbani Lyrics

The song "Occidentali's Karma" by Francesco Gabbani borrows from various philosophical and cultural references to critique the contemporary Western world's superficiality and spiritual emptiness. The song starts by posing the age-old question of "to be or not to be" and how it still plagues the modern man despite the evolution of millennia. Gabbani then paints a picture of people stuck in their own cages, comfortable in their 2x3 world, while intellectuals and internet experts pontificate with their facile answers to life's dilemmas.

The chorus is where the title of the song, "Occidentali's Karma," comes into play - referring to the Western Karma that the West has amassed through its materialistic pursuits. The lyrics reference how the people are looking for stories with grand finales or happy endings, but in reality, life is impermanent ("panta rei" - everything flows) and ever-evolving. The enlightenment found in Nirvana or through Buddha is reduced to a line of tourists waiting in queue, seeking a taste of the spiritual. The phrase "la scimmia nuda balla" (the naked monkey dances) is repeated throughout the song, serving as a metaphor for humanity's primal and superficial impulses.

The bridge highlights the fact that people are expendable to the ruthless march of life, that when life gets distracted, people fall. However, the scimmia (monkey) rises again, and the song ends with the traditional Sanskrit greeting "Namaste" - signifying the idea that "The divine in me honors the divine in you."

Overall, "Occidentali's Karma" is a critique of the Western world's consumer culture, with its constant search for happiness and meaning through materialism, sex appeal, and virtual reality. Gabbani suggests that the quest for enlightenment, spirituality, and true happiness is not a destination but a journey that requires discipline, sincerity, and awareness.